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Joined: Apr 2019
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Brand new to inlines....been shooting flintlocks for years.
I have a TC Encore.
Large rifle primer breech plug
Shooting:
CCI Large rifle magnum primers
115gr by volume-85gr by weight BH209
300gr Thor full bore 50cal bullet
Pretty good zero at 50yds.
First shot at 100yds was a smidge low. Half inch or so. Less than a half inch to the right
I didn't clean after that shot. It started walking left and low.
2nd shot was about 1-1.5" low and half inch left
Next shot was about 2" low and 2" left
Next shot was about 2" left and 3" low
Next was about 2" left and 4" low.
I "expected" shots to climb as the bore fouled and pressure climbed.
I don't know what 100yd groups would measure. So, could just be the group? But seemed pretty consistent to shoot lower and lower.
Doesn't really matter for hunting. I just need to know where that clean bore shot will go and maybe a 2nd.
Does 1/2-1" low at 100yds sound right for that load zeroed at 50??
Like I said, brand new to this stuff...just trying to learn. And Thor's are too expensive to shoot a ton ...if I were chasing elk or something where further shots were expected, I'd be shooting a lot more. I know if a deer is in the scope within 100yds, it should die immediately.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,070
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,070 |
I'd switch to a cheaper bullet if you like and see if the same thing happens.so you can shoot more. Or drop down to 90gr by volume and try it . Personally while hunting, and I hunt elk with a TC 50 cal Impact, I never shoot more than two at the range without cleaning as the odds of getting three shots at an animal with a muzzle loader is pretty slim.
I shoot 348 gr Power Belts with 80 gr of BH209. Truth is no matter what others say or advertising says about 209, I could never do four shots with out at least swabbing the bore
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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Joined: Apr 2019
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I could honestly probably shoot it all day without swabbing...which is why I kept shooting.
Just thought it was interesting to see it keep dropping. I expected a rise if anything due to fouling and pressure increasing.
To be completely honest, it's not something I will use very often. Going to take it to Ohio next week. I didn't know they recently allowed straight wall cartridges or I'd be packing something else. Not that the inline won't do. Just less to mess around with and have to remember to pack and carry to the woods.
Our muzzleloader season in PA is a flintlock season...hence my prior muzzleloader experience and no real need for an inline. I can use it during an early doe/bear season but I archery hunt that time period. Can use it during our rifle season too. Actually will carry it Saturday if I hunt PA. Already filled my buck tag so not sure what I will do Saturday for our opener.
I ran 100gr of Goex behind the Thor's in a fast twist flintlock. I had so-so results. I think the issue was speed. Deer were dying. But I had 1/3 exit. Figured I'd put a little more powder behind it in the inline and try to get it to punch through.
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,454
Campfire Tracker
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I use 209 primers and never had any walking with BH. Maybe swap in a different breech plug if you can. or if you use inserts, skip those and go 209.
I am taking a wild guess and thinking ignition is changing? Anyway it is a simple swap if you could borrow a plug, or swap in 209s instead of inserts.
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Joined: Apr 2019
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I do have a 209 plug.
And I think you may be right. I never cleaned the breech plug...I did. But not "properly". Yesterday I shot a few rounds and couldn't even see through the hole AFTER I thought I cleaned it.
Lesson learned. Lol. I was soaking it and cleaning it but the crud inside wasn't getting cleaned out.
Will try to get to the range 1 more time before I leave Sunday. Which will be difficult but I should be able to swing by for a couple quick shots to check it at 50 and 100.
The 209 plug looked a little rough so I wanted to replace it. The large rifle primer plug made a lot of sense to me ..so I ordered it.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,471
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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I betcha it's the bullet. Try another one. Try a Barnes.
Faith and love of others knows no mileage nor bounds. That's simply the way it is.
dogzapper
After the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box.
Italian Proverb
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Joined: Jun 2001
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Campfire Ranger
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Why would a bullet keep walking more with each shot? Don't think so.
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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Sakoluvr, Thors are full bore Barnes bullets with a skirt..and they seem plenty accurate. I know in another rifle I've shot them in, they were wicked accurate.
Saddlesore, I was thinking something with the fouling and not cleaning between shots. And the breech plug theory makes sense...I had probably 10 shots through it prior to those 5. Swabbed the bore a couple times...with the breech plug in and solvent on the patches so if anything, making it worse...like I said, new to inlines.
Everything is tight and the gun shoots well. Just haven't shot at 100yds besides those 5.
I cleaned the plug really well last night. Stopped at the range before work and sent 2 through the X at 50yds.
I ordered another box of Thors. I will play around more just because I'm pretty curious now. But that'll have to wait till after my trip. I'm 1000% confident in the rifle and my needs for now. Just thought that shots steadily shooting lower was interesting.
I am getting the drift that most guys shooting inlines swab between shots. I'm used to shooting patched round balls and black powder....the next patched ball swabs it good enough as it goes down. Lol.
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Here's a pic of the shots. ![[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]](https://i.postimg.cc/ZnV6HmYH/IMG-20201124-150751462.jpg) Like I said, first one is the highest. Each shot lower than the one before it. Id say thats just the group. But, seeing each shot walk lower makes me believe there was something going on causing that.
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I have an omega and as long as I can seat the sabot on the powder I've never seen a difference between shots without cleaning.
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An update.
I went to Ohio. Started hunting on Tuesday.
Slept on Wednesday on accident....hammered a 10 point at about 145.
The 300gr Thor with that stiff load of BH209 under it was devastating. He was bird doggin 4 doe. 2-3min behind then. Spinning in circles and being a mad man. Another few steps and he was going to be out of my life. He paused just long enough. I was confident the Thor would hammer him. Hard quartering towards me 50-60yds. Blasted his right shoulder. Exited behind the rib cage in front of the left hand. He snow plowed down a ravine about 40yds.
I have a spring kit for the Encore I am going to install today. Should really help the trigger and hammer spring. The trigger pull is tough and the hammer spring is weak. Earlier gun.
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Congrats on the buck! I'm not surprised about the terminal performance. I shot quite a few 300 Thor's out of my Omega last summer getting ready for an elk hunt. It was my first choice in bullets but I had issues with inconsistency also. They are very hard bullets and many of the bullets that I had were dinged up around the skirt. When I was loading them they didn't go down the bore smoothly. It felt like they were out of round or tight. I tried some lube on them but it didn't seem to help much. I would shoot a good group and the next group would be twice the size. I could never figure out how to make them shoot well and ended up using Federal BOR-Lock 350's.
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Posts: 446
Campfire Member
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Posts: 446 |
Brand new to inlines....been shooting flintlocks for years.
I have a TC Encore.
Large rifle primer breech plug
Shooting:
CCI Large rifle magnum primers
115gr by volume-85gr by weight BH209
300gr Thor full bore 50cal bullet
Pretty good zero at 50yds.
First shot at 100yds was a smidge low. Half inch or so. Less than a half inch to the right
I didn't clean after that shot. It started walking left and low.
2nd shot was about 1-1.5" low and half inch left
Next shot was about 2" low and 2" left
Next shot was about 2" left and 3" low
Next was about 2" left and 4" low.
I "expected" shots to climb as the bore fouled and pressure climbed.
I don't know what 100yd groups would measure. So, could just be the group? But seemed pretty consistent to shoot lower and lower.
Doesn't really matter for hunting. I just need to know where that clean bore shot will go and maybe a 2nd.
Does 1/2-1" low at 100yds sound right for that load zeroed at 50??
Like I said, brand new to this stuff...just trying to learn. And Thor's are too expensive to shoot a ton ...if I were chasing elk or something where further shots were expected, I'd be shooting a lot more. I know if a deer is in the scope within 100yds, it should die immediately. Congrats on the buck. This was the blood trail from a 250 gr. Thor on a Whitetail doe last week. ![[Linked Image from live.staticflickr.com]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50662126903_05a8c460e9_z.jpg) Even if you can get away with loading without having to clean the bore, what is the benefit? Everyone who knows what they're doing does, or at very least should, shoot blackpowder rifles with a clean bore. I have some sweet pictures of my buddy's gun developing some pretty gnarly pitting after he left it uncleaned because "Blackhorn 209 says it isn't corrosive." Regarding hunting, a clean, cold bore shot is all that matters to me, so that's what I practice with at the range.
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Joined: Apr 2019
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Those Thors are awesome. I just wasn't able to get the velocity high enough from my flintlock I don't think. I had 1 exit on a chest shot doe. The 2 bucks I shot with the flintlock, you'd had a hard time knowing they were shot...other than they died.
I agree...we hunt with a clean bore and that's how they should be shot. But, also nice to know what it does when it's fouled. Never know when you might have to shoot your way outta the woods! Lol.
I just installed Bellms spring kit. Definitely a worthwhile upgrade to an older Encore. I don't have a trigger scale...but it's pretty nice now. Not too light but not 5-8 pounds like it was. Lock up is my h better. Feels much more solid.
Back in PA now ..maybe a doe will make a mistake tomorrow.
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